Unicaja lands big man Thompson

Unicaja Malaga bolstered its frontcourt by inking center Deon Thompson to a two-year deal, the club announced Monday. Thompson (2.03 meters, 30 years old) arrives from Zalgiris Kaunas, where he averaged 4.7 points on 59.6% two-point shooting and 3.1 rebounds in 17 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season. He helped Zalgiris reach the EuroLeague Playoffs and win the Lithuanian League title. Thompson started the 2018-19 season with Spanish side San Pablo Burgos, averaging 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 14 games. Zalgiris was be Thompson's sixth EuroLeague club after previous stints with Union Olimpija Ljubljana, ALBA Berlin, FC Bayern Munich, Galatasaray Istanbul and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. He has played a total of 107 EuroLeague games over six seasons, averaging 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Thompson played the 2015-16 7DAYS EuroCup with Bayern, averaging 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 10 games. During his professional career, Thompson has also played for Ikaros Kallitheas of Greece and Liaoning Jiebao Hunters in China. He helped Olimpija win the Slovenian Cup in 2012, lifted the German Cup with ALBA in 2013, and a year later helped Bayern win its first German League title in almost half a century.